Carriage-top stop.



No. 824,679. PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

W. L. SMITH. CARRIAGE TOP STOP.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.'1, 1905 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1906.

Application filed December 1, 1905. Serial No. 289,915-

.To 00% whom it'maty concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LEE SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing atZCookville, in the county of Titus, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stops for Carriage or Automobile Hood Props, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to carriages or other vehicles, and more particularly to that por- 'tion of a vehicle which is known as the prop stump or stop, which usually projects outward on each side of the vehicle-body at the rear end of the seat for the support of the vehicle-hood props when the hood or top is "lowered. Heretofore these stops have consisted of an interior metal bar or stump surrounded by a sleeve of leather or rubber, the stump being rigidly mounted on the vehicle-body. As the whole weight of the vehicle-top when lowered comes upon these stops, the strain on them and upon the hood-props, which immediately bear on the stops, is very great, particularly when the vehicle is being driven over rough roads and is subject to constant jar. Such jarring, too, wears and mars the finish of the side props in a comparatively short time and tends to loosen the joints of the props and cover-supports, so that they rattle. Again, unless the hood on top of the vehicle is lowered slowly onto the stops the side props or the stumps are liable to break or bend. It is to obviate these objections that I have devised my invention, which consists, broadly, in providing a resilient stop to support the carriage-top, which will yield and take up all jars or shocks incident to use.

My invention I have embodied in the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a side view of part of a carriage, showing my device applied to the stump ordinarily projecting thereon. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the yielding stopdetached from the carriage. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the end of the prop-rest.

In the figures, wherein like numerals designate like parts in all the several views, 2 indicates a base cast or otherwise formed of metal and provided with a socket 3 for receiving the stump, with which all hooded carriages are provided. This stump is ordinarily foursided, and, the socket being four-sided, the base is held therein with no liability to turn. In order to prevent its chance removal from the stump, I provide the base with a setscrew 4, which projects into the recess and is to be set up against the stump. Formed with or mounted on the upper side and at one end of the base 2 in any suitable manner are the upwardly-projecting sockets 5 5, which receive the ends of the springs 6. These sockets I have shown as formed separately from the base and held thereto by screws 5. The ends of springs 6 6 are held rigidly within the sockets 5 in any desired way, as by casting the sockets on the springs. These springs should be of thoroughly-tempered steel. Preferably I form them with an upright portion coiled rearwardly and downwardly in a circle and then extended forwardly to a position about over or forward of the stump. At their free ends the springs are bent around on themselves, as shown at 6, to form a square-eye to receive and hold the square end of the core 7 of the prop-rest. This core may be made of wood or metal of any desired cross-section, covered by a cushioning-sleeve 8, of leather, rubber, or composition. 8 8 designate washers of leather, which fit over the ends of core 7 between the eyes 6 and the ends of sleeve 8. End plates 9, screwed to the core 7, finish the ends of the prop-rest and hold the eyes 6 in place.

It is obvious that such a prop stop or rest as I have described will aflord a resilient but yielding support to the top-props and braces when the top is lowered and that it will take up all jar, so that rattling will be avoided, as well as unnecessary wear;

I have shown what I believe to be a particularly good embodiment of my invention; but I wish it understood that I do not wish to be limited to this, as the principle of the invention might be applied in many other ways.

The device is simple, cheap, thoroughly efficient in service and may be quickly applied to any carriage having the ordinary fixed prop-stop. It is designed for use on all vehicles having a top or hood which is let down.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A carriage-top stop, comprising a base having a socket for attachment to a fixed prop-stump, oppositely-placed springs upwardly projecting from the base, coiled on themselves and then projecting outwardly, eyes formed of the free ends of said springs, a cross-bar whose ends are adapted to be received through said eyes and supported therein, a cushioning-sleeve surrounding said IIO cross-bar and held thereon, Washers fitting over the ends of the said cross-bar between 1 cross-bar supported in the eyes; and a cushthe ends of the said sleeve and the eyes, and ioning-sleeve surrounding said cross-bar and end plates secured to the ends of the crossheld thereon, substantially as described. bar and larger than the circumference of the In testimony whereof I have signed my 15 5 said eyes. name to this specification, in the presence of 2. A carriage-top stop comprising a base two subscribing Witnesses, this 24th day of having a socket for attachment to a fixed November, 1905.

prop-stump; oppositelyplaced springs up WILLIAM LEE SMITH. Wardly projecting from. the base coiled on I Witnesses: 1o themselves and projecting outwardly; eyes I CORA RYAN,

formed in the free ends of said springs; a l N. A. BURKHEAD. 

